Savannahlander

The Savannahlander is an Australian passenger train service that operates in Far North Queensland that travels on the Tablelands line from the coastal city of Cairns to Forsayth.[1]

Savannahlander

The Savannahlander stopped at Mutchilba to pick up the Staff
Overview
Service type	Passenger train
Predecessor	Forsayth Mixed
First service	3 April 1995
Current operator(s)	Cairns Kuranda Steam Pty Ltd.
Former operator(s)	Queensland Rail
Route
Start	Cairns
End	Forsayth
Distance travelled	424 km
Average journey time	4 Days
Service frequency	Weekly
Line(s) used	Tablelands Railway, Etheridge Railway
Technical
Rolling stock	2000 Class Railmotors
Track owner(s)	Queensland Rail
Route map Cairns Barron Falls Kuranda Mareeba Mutchilba Dimbulah Almaden Bullock Creek Mount Surprise Einasleigh Bloodwood Forsayth

History

The Savannahlander at Stoney Creek Falls in April 2005

The service was introduced on 3 April 1995 by Queensland Rail to replace the Forsayth Mixed (marketed as the 'Last Great Train Ride'). The line was closed from Mareeba to Mount Surprise at the same time. It was initially run with a 2000 class railmotor set that was refurbished at Townsville Workshops. This was only on the Mount Surprise to Forsayth section of the Etheridge line. However, after an upgrade of the line for sugar syrup trains from Cairns to Arriga, and a limited restoration of the rest of the line, the railmotor started travelling from Cairns to Forsayth in September 1998. In 2004 it was decided to run it under contract by a private operator, Cairns Kuranda Steam Pty Ltd.[2][3] While primarily a passenger service between Cairns and Forsayth, the train can be chartered for large groups.[4]

On 27 March 2019, a car collided with the Savannahlander at a level crossing in the city of Cairns. The driver of the vehicle failed to give way at the crossing and was subsequently injured in the crash.[5] The Driver was subsequently charged with Culpable Driving.

Route and timetable

The Savannahlander at Lappa Junction in April 2006 (17.3591°S 144.8861°E)

Running for 39 weeks in the year, The Savannahlander departs Cairns railway station (16.9257°S 145.7712°E) at 06:30 Wednesday mornings [4] and travels up the scenic Kuranda Range past the Barron Falls (16.8364°S 145.6429°E) to Kuranda (16.8191°S 145.6391°E). It then travels to the south-west on the Chillagoe-Mungana branch line. The train travels through the towns of Mareeba (16.9938°S 145.4213°E) and Dimbulah (17.1500°S 145.1106°E) before arriving in Almaden (17.3384°S 144.6780°E) where it stays for the night. On Thursday morning The Savannahlander continues south-west on the Etheridge Railway. The rail motor passes through Mount Surprise (18.1468°S 144.3179°E) and Einasleigh (18.5140°S 144.0917°E) before terminating at Forsayth railway station (18.5869°S 143.6028°E). On Friday the train departs Forsayth for Mount Surprise. The train then departs for Cairns on Saturday morning.[6]

Rolling stock

Crossing a wooden bridge on the Tablelands Line

The Savannahlander rollingstock comprises three former two-car Queensland Railways 2000 class rail motors.

Two (2026 and 2028) are "PD" (Passenger / Driving) cars. These units have the classic 1960s era streamlined front ends and were built for Queensland Rail in 1963. Originally they had 160 HP Rolls Royce diesel engines fitted.

The third (2053) is a 2051 class rail motor, known as a "PLDT" (Passenger & Luggage / Driving / Trailing) car. These cars have access doors at each end at the expense of the streamlined front. This allows the cars to be placed in the middle of the other sets and sets of three or four cars can be formed. There were only four of this style of car built, and they were originally fitted with an AEC engine. It was built in 1971 and re-powered along with the other Savannahlander units in 2005.[7]

All were repowered in 2005 with a 250 HP Cummins diesel and Allison gear box combination.

See also

• List of named passenger trains of Australia

References

1. The Savannahlander - Forsayth to Cairns Thomas, A. Australian Railway History, July 2004 pp255-258
2. "Savannahlander Launched" Railway Digest May 1995 page 15
3. Queensland Transport - Long distance passenger transport service contracts
4. "The Savannahlander". Queensland Holidays. Tourism Queensland. Archived from the original on 3 November 2011. Retrieved 17 October 2011.
5. Cairns Post (27 March 2019). "Train Driver's Shock at Crash". The Cairns Post. The Cairns Post. Retrieved 27 March 2019.
6. Savannahlander Itinerary Archived 28 July 2013 at the Wayback Machine Savannahlander
7. Rollingstock Archived 24 January 2014 at the Wayback Machine Savannahlander

External links

• Official Savannahlander Web Site